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33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER, NY.  <4580 

(716)  87?  4503 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notet/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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D 


□ 


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to 


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obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Th 
po 
of 
fill 


Or 
be 
th( 

sio 
oti 
fin 
sio 
or 


Thi 
shi 

Tir 

wh 

Ma 
dif 
ent 
be( 
rigl 
req 
me 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


12X 


;3X 


20X 


26X 


30X 


3 


24X 


28X 


32X 


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to  the  generosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
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Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  OTiginal  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres 
sion.  and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^  (meaning     CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  piaies,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmisd  at 
different  red'jction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


L'exemplaire  film*  fut  reproduit  grice  A  la 
ginArosltA  de: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archivos  of  British  Jolumbui 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  M  reproduites  avac  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettet*  de  l'exemplaire  film*,  et  en 
conformit*  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprim*e  sont  film*s  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film*s  en  commengcnt  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derni*re  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN  ". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmAs  *  das  taux  de  reduction  diff*rents. 
Lorsque  ie  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich*,  il  est  film*  *  partir 
de  I'angie  sup*rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  *  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n*cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m*thode. 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

1 


I 


SCRIBNER'S  MAGAZINE. 


Vol..   XIV. 


OCTOIJKH,    IK'.IU. 


X...  4. 


THE   NORTHWEST  MOUNTED   POLICE  OF  CANADA. 

By  J.  (j.  A.  Oeijiibtoih 

'N  1H7:{  the  Doiiiininii  of  CjiiiikIii  iiiul  \\  sci-ii>us 
]ir()l)lt'lil  ti>  flicc.  It  llfld  l)nii;^lit  l{ll)ni-t's  Laiitl 
iroiii  tlic  Hiiilsnii  IJjiy  CniMpimy  four  years  j)ri'- 
viiiiisly.  The  fstiil)li^lmi('iit  nf  the  Province  of 
^Iiiiiiti>liii  liail   rc(|uir<'tl  tlic  Wnlscley  txpctlitioM 

of  1K7((,  mill  tlic  iiiiiiiitciiitiK f  a  j^'arrisiui   at 

AViiiiiijic;,',  wliicli   was  just    sjiriiis^'iii;,''   up    rniuul 
tlic  wimmIcii   jialisadcs   of   old   Fort  (lurry.      Hut 
all    licyoiid    tlic    Red    l{ivci'    was    practically    iiii- 
kuowii,  and  ;{((.(l((()  Indians  lield  tlic  jilains  over 
which  the  Imll'alo  herds  then  roamed.     An  army 
of  re<juliir  tidops  sccniod  lu'cessary  to  take  and 
keej)   ])ossession.     This  was  done  liy  a  force  of 
three  hundred  men.  which   for  years  pi'actically 
ruled  a  re^;ion  as  iarf4;e  as  France  ami  (lei'iiiany, 
dealt    with    unruly  popidations  ami    most 
i'xactinif   conditions,  and    really  lirouj^dit 
aliout    the  civilizing,'  of    this  vast   district 
'  liy  personal  bravery,  jud;,'ment,  and  char- 

acter. This  jiaper  proposes  to  tell  sonic- 
tliinij:  of  the  story  epiti)iiii/e(|  in  the  liad^'e 
and  motto  of  the  Northwest  ^loiintcd  Po- 
lice, whose  scarlet  tunic  is  the  symhol  of 
law  and  order  from  the  He<l  Hiver  to  the  Rocky  MountaiuN,  and  from  the  United 
States  border  to  Peace  l{iver  and  the  Saskatchewan. 

Thouji;li  or^'ani/ed  when  the  late  Hon.  Alexander  ^[ackenzie  was  Premier,  the 
^lounted  police  were  one  of  Sir  John  Macdonald's  insjiiratioiis.  and  aftci'  Ir-. 
rctui'n  to  power,  in  1H7H,  they  always  remained  under  his  own  eye.  The  w  .. 
coat  was  no  mere  concession  to  historic  sentiment,  but  his  ci'afty  appeal  to  In- 
dian triKlition  of  the  j^'ood  faith  and  ticjhtini,'  tpialities  of  the  •■  Kiiij;'  (ieorfj;es 
Man,"  whose  ally  their  brethren  in  the  lOast  hud  bci'U,  and  to  wliom  even  the 
^'reat  Hudson  Bay  ("oinpany  owned  alle;_'iance. 

The  nucleus  of  the  force  was  ;,'ot  to^i.ther  in  Manitoba,  in  the  autumn  of 
isT.'f,  tnidcr  the  i-ommaml  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Fi'cnch,  of  the  Hoyal  Artillery, 
who  had  done  Canada  ;^ood  service  in  or<,'aiiizin;jf  her  anillery  schools,  and 
who,  after  winning  fresh  distinction  in  Australia,  recently  retired  from  the  Im- 
perial Army  as  a  Major-(  ieiicral.  The  rest,  makin^^'  the  strciiifth  only  tlu'ce 
liuiidred  in  all,  went  from  Toronto  to  Farj,'!)  by  rail,  in  June,  1S74,  ami  had  a 
foretiiHte  of  their  work   in  a  march  of  l(i(»  miles  to   DulVerin,  on   the  southern 

Copynglit,  lsv>:l,  by  Chui-Um  bunbiiiT  ^  >\*\\^.    All  nghtA  rt.'MTvcit. 


y^'" 


40U 


THE  NOKTHiyHST  MOLKTHD  POLICE  OF  C AS' ADA. 


frontier  of  Miiiiilolm.  Weeding,' out  tlii' 
weaklings,  iind  Iciiviiij^  ii  iVw  f^ood  iiicii 
to  form  ;t  depot  mid  send  ii  detiiclinient 
to  Fort  Kllice,  on  the  Assinihoiiie.  the 
Mounted  PoHce  hej^an  their  record  imd 
scored  from  tlie  outset.  W'itli  two  tield- 
I'uns  iiml  two   mortiirs,  ttml   I'dvinu  on 


Bulge  of   the    Northwest   Mourttud   Pt.iice. 

tlieir  own  tninsjjort  train  for  su])j>hes. 
tliev  nmrcheil  MOO  mih's  westwiird 
through  an  iiidviiown  country  inha))- 
ited  li_v  150.00(1  Indians  and  a  few  score 
white  (h'Speradoes,  f  ill  the  |{ock_v  .Moun- 
tains were  in  si^^lit.  Leavin^j  Colonel 
Madeod.  the  Assistant  Commissioner, 
to  build  a  fort  in  the  very  heart  of  the 
(•oiintry  of  the  terrilih'  IJlackfeet.  where 
Ho  white  nniiiH  life  was  tlien  safe,  and 
sending,'  another  detachnLent  north  to 
K  Imonton  amoni^'  the  .Vssinihoines  and 
Wood  Crees.  the  nniiii  column  turned 
hack.  They  crossed  tlie  i)laius  north- 
ward hy  way  of  (^u'.VpiJelle  to  Fort 
Pelly.  hut  tindin-^  their  inteiidetl  hi'ad- 
(|uarters  were  not  ready  they  retui'ued 
to  DutVcrin.  'J'he  thermometer,  which 
ha.l  stood  at  100'  F.  in  the  shade  when 
they  marched  out,  marked  H0°  F.  below- 
zero  on  their  return.  In  four  months, 
to  a  day,  they  travelled  l,!!.")",)  miles,  be- 
sides tlie  distances  covei'ed  by  (h'tach- 
nients  on  special  service.  Once  beyond 
tile  rich  prairies  of  .Manitoba,  hard  work 
in  tlie  gravel  drifts  of  the  ^lissoiiri  Co- 
teau  and  anioiiK'  tiic  broken  ^Jfullies  of 
Wood  ^[ountaiii  and  tlie  Cyju-ess  Hills 
tol'l  licavily  on  their  animals.  Many 
p)od  horses  livecl  throu;fli  want  of 
water  and  fotid  in  the  arid  plains  where 
nictuH  and  wigJ'-bruHli  are  the  only  vet^- 


etatioij  rouu'l  tlii<'  alkaline  lakes,  to  <1ie 
from  the  eff«-»i*«i.f  auaccii^tomed  foraj,'e, 
()!•  from  tht-  l»ilt«-r  cold  that  ciime  on 
early  in  tlj*  autniiiii.  thou^di  ollicers 
and  men  <rave  up  llj«-ir  blankets  to  sliel- 
t<r  lii(-ir  dtar^d-r!^  iJuf  the  three  hun- 
di'e(l  ]Mili(n-  ainr^Hii|>h.'nhed.  without  los- 
ing,' a  Ijfe.  wiiat  liad  seemed  work  for 
ail  ai'ujy — thie  takini.'  jM»^ession  of  tiie 
(ii'eat  Loue  LoiiiL 

One  obj<-<-t  oj  iIj*-  exiM'dition  was  to 
drive  out  tilt-  <iaiiij;'>*  ol'  whiskey  traders, 
outlaws  <»f  iIk-  worNf  kind  from  the 
Western  St,-it«-^.  wlio  kept  the  Indians 
ill  a  chronii-  Mat*-  ^^t  ileviltry.  and  only 
tilt-  year  l><-f<<rc-  Iia<I  ftnnmitted  a  num- 
bei-  of  mur-lierc  aH»l  oiitravi'es  on  tlieir 
own  a<-<-ount.  TL*-  f'>rts  in  which  they 
were  Y{\v  trXi-A  Vt  I*  » iitrenched.  at  the 
junction  oi  tli<f-  IJ>>»  .itid  iielly  Jiivers, 
proved  UAttf  wien-lv  tradin;.'  posts,  built 
of  lo^'s.  aii<l  thii-  iuiiiat!*'^  had  taken  tliein- 
nelv<'S  <iff  witliKt'Ol  ;rivili'_'  the  police  a 
chance  to  fin-  a  Anitt.  Another  ol)ject 
was  to  es1.ab]i<4i  fri'inHv  relations  with 
the  Indians.  Tliis  w:is  soon  acconi- 
jilished.  ami  tbif-ir  contideiice  in  the 
police  has  lat-tt-"!  fn»m  that  day  to  this. 
Their  sus]<ici<»ii)*«jui»-kly  wore^  away,  and 
th(y  b(-canj«  <»ul.«|ii»«k»ti  in  tleir  cNpres- 

siolis    of    ;/r;ilJtU"l«-     to    the    (  ro\  (riimellt 

for  sendin;^  iIk-im  s»iifh  protectors.  As 
one  <-hief  UM  C«>l*mel  .Macleod.  '•  15i- 
fore  you  <-aiij«'  tlw-  Iit'Ii.'in  crept  a!oii>i'. 
now  he  is  u*A  allntid  to  walk  erect." 
They  we]-e  <jiT«-lii  a  •_'eiieral  ide;i  of  the 
laws,  tolil  that  tlW'X-  would  bt  the  s;ime 
for  whit«  luai!  ait'l  Indian  alike,  and 
that  tiny  ij<'<-m1  uot  i«Tir  punishment  e\- 
ee])t  for  <l<iiujr  «liat  they  knew  to  be 
wroiij:.  TIk-v  wn-n-  promised  th.t  their 
lands  woulil  iii«»t  \m-  t.ikeii  from  them, 
but  tiiat  fair  trK'ati*-:^  would  be  made  in 
solemn  «-ou!j<-il — pr»>riuses  the  faithful 
fultilment  «f  mlii«-h  has  saved  ("anada 
from  Indian  warK  Before  the  end  of 
1H74  Coloije]  >la«-l..>.l  was  able  to  report 
that  the  wlji^l«y  tr:»de  was  completely 
supjiressed.  iLnJ  an  iin.-kniied  man  could 
riile  safely  over  »|jia»  h:kd  been  the  bat- 
tle-<.'-roun<l  of  tlioM^  hen'tlitarv  enemies 
the  ll]aekf<ft  *iii«I  Crpfs.  a!id  that  the 
only  Iiiclian '1  ■""  '*  r.i  be  :ipprehended 
was  the  ]iie« ',  .  ■  u  parties  from  dif- 
ferent IrilM.^.  Tim-  b«>t  result  of  the 
exjiedilion  wjio  tb<t  iiiuiiediate  estiiblish- 
iiieiit  of  a  prMttijf*-  which  has  served  the 


DR*Wh    B»    fHEOERIC    HEMlh&TON. 


ENORAVED    av    C.  W,  CHADWICK. 


if)33ii:3 


Officer  of  the  Mgunteil  Police  m  Full-i)iu»». 


»*«»- 


^m 


Police   Recruit   Acquiring   a   Military  Seat 


■3'-'i'->-^^'""''i'"" 


I'olicp  in  tiood  stead  in  niiiiiy  a  "  ti^^lit 
placi'  "  siiifc,  and  has  cnahlcd  tlicm  to 
disi't'<,'ard  ininioa.siirablo  odds  against 
tlicm. 

CdIoik'I  ^laclcod  svu'ct'cdcd  to  the 
ciiniinaiid  upon  C'oloncl  Frcncirs  rcsi^jf- 
nation  after  coniphtinjj  tlie  work  of  or- 
jrani/.atioii.  J>urin<f  thc^  next  two  years 
the  Police  were  htisy  huildin;,'  them- 
selves j)osts,  estal)lishiii<jr  sii])))ly  farms, 
and  explorin;,'  the  country.  Those  were 
tile  <,'oldeii  days  of  the  force  ;  the  life 
was  one  of  constant  excitement  and  a<l- 
ventiire.  and  the  duties  wei'e  almost 
])iirely  military,  for  no  .settlers  then 
went  beyond  ilanitoha.  The  j^reat 
herds  of  hntValo  still  ran^'ed  the  prai- 
ries, iiiid  it  is  straiiffc  now  to  I'ead  in 
the  old  onler-hoi'ks  prohibitions  from 
shootinif  more  animals  than  coidil  be 
used  as  food.  The  -.'ri/zly  bear  had  not 
beat  his  iinal  retreat  to  the  mountains, 


and  there  were  antelope  in  abundance. 
The  Indians  oft<  n  cr.nie  into  coiitlict 
over  encroachments  u])iin  each  other's 
innitinj^-^irounds,  and  were  (piick  to  ap- 
j)eal  to  the  red-coats  as  arbiters  and 
protectors.  At  that  time  the  Police 
had  the  whole  m;iiiai:-ement  of  the  In- 
dians on  their  shoulders,  'i'hey  had  to 
reconcile  them  to  the  coming'  of  the 
whites,  and  to  protect  the  surveyors, 
who  laid  already  be-^un  jjarcellin;,'  out 
the  country  and  ex])lorinL;'  the  route  of 
the  railway.  Their  abilities  as  diplo- 
mats were  evidenced  by  the  readiness 
with  which  the  In(bans  entered  into  the 
treaties  conchnh'd  l)etween  1H7")  and 
1H77,  and  tlieir  soldiei'ly  (|ualities  by 
th<'  bearing;'  of  the  detachments  that  es- 
cortetl  the  commissioners,  (."onvoyinj;' 
the  larj^e  sums  of  money  and  stores  of 
su])plies  retpiireil  for  the  ai  nual  pay- 
ments to  each  heail  of  a  fannlv  was  a 


Tin-   SOKTHirEST  MOU\'TED  I'OirM  (If-   CAS  ADA. 


4015 


])i'>'il<>iis  iliity.    'I'lic  ilistril)utii>ii  cif  tlicm 
r((|iiirccl  liniiiiiss  tni't.  ami  iMsi;,'lit  into 
tiic  liivstcrics  of  Iiidiiili  ciiiu'iictcf.     Miit 
these  are  (jiialities  tlie  Police  have  al 
wavs  shown  in  a  marked  (h'l^'i'ce. 

in  1H77  nearly  tl:;'  whole  of  the  little 
force  was  concentrated  on  the  south- 
western frontier  to  watch  ami  check 
th(  (J.IHM!  Sioux  wlio  soUL;ht  refui;(' 
ill  Canada  aftei-  their  defeat  of  Custei' 
on  tiie  Litth'  IJiii  Horn,  l-'ort  Walsh, 
ill  till-  Cvjtress  Hills,  was  made  liead- 
i|\iarters  in^tvail  of  Fort  l'<'lly  ;  a  post 
<'i)mmandinL;'  the  trail;  from  the  L'ji- 
jn'r  Mi-souri  was  estalilished  at  Wood 
3[oinitaiM  to  the  eastward,  an<l  the  ^'ar- 
risou  of  Foil  Maclcod  was  increased. 
A  tinu-  t)f  trreat  anxiety  <'nsiied.  'i'he 
Canadian  Indians,  ('specially  the  Hlack- 
feet.  were  strongly  opjuised  to  the  jires 
eiice  of  the  Sioux  the  more  so  as  it 
was  (iln-ady  ap])arent  that  the  hutValr 
woiild  be  extinct  in  a  few  years.  The 
teniidatioii  was  ^reat  to  smoke  the  to- 
liacco  sent  them  l)y  Sioux  runners,  and 
tiiiis  hind  themselves  to  join  in  an  ef- 
fort to  sweep  out  once  and  for  all  tiie 
white  iiit'u,  whose  numhers  seemed  so 
scanty.  But — chiefly  under  Crowfoot's 
intlueiice  —  it  was  resisted,  and  they 
heljied  the  Police  liy  refraining:-  from 
hostilities,  and  atl'ordiiij;  information  as 
to  tiie  doiiiys  of  the  iiew-comers.  Sit- 
ting,' Hull  and  his  warriors  we?"  met 
with  a  (|uiet  resolution  that  ast<inished 
them,  and  won  their  imme(liate  respect. 
Tiiey  were  told  that  so  lout;-  as  t!iey 
oiiserved  the  law  tliey  wmilil  lie  ]iro- 
tei'lcd.  Init  could  expect  iiotliiu!,^  more, 
anil  '.voiild  not  be  allowed  to  settle  prr- 
manently  in  ( 'aiiada.  ami  tliey  were 
linally  induced  to  surrender  jit  acefiil- 
Iv  to  the  United  States  authorities  in 

The  f'ooliieMs  and  pluck  of  the  Police 
duriiifT  that  cvitii'al  period  was  aiiia/- 
inu'.  Their  contidence  in  themselves  is 
curiously  evident  eel  liy  a  rejiort  from 
the  otiicer  ii;  command  at  Wood  ^[ouii- 
taiii.  recommeiidiiii;  that  at  least  50 
men  should  lie  stationed  tlure.  as  there 
were  alioiit  .">. 0(1(1  Sioux  campetl  in  the 
vici.iity  I  On  one  occasion  an  attempt 
liy  the  Sioux  wairiors  to  rescue  by 
force  one  of  their  number  whc:  had 
been  arrested,  was  faced  and  stopped 
by    "IH    troopers.     Such    exploits    wen 


fi(i|ueiit.  Ill  1S77  Inspector  Walsh 
with  |)octoi-  Kittson,  a  <,niide,  and 
l-'i  ('oiistaliles,  chartit'd  down  at  day- 
break one  morning'  on  a  wai'  ciimp 
of  200  Assiniboines,  who,  after  ill- 
usiii',''  anil  tirin;;  at  some  Saiilteaiix 
canqied  near  by,  had  tlireateiied  to 
serve  till  Police  in  the  same  way  if  they 
came.  SiirroundiiiL;'  tiie  war  lod^'e 
erectetl  in  the  centre  of  ti.e  camp,  he 
arrested  and  took  a>v,iy  the  head  chief, 
Crow's  DaiK-e,  ami  !t)  of  the  princi- 
]ial  warriors.  Then  assinibliiiL:-  the  re- 
iin'oimler  of  tlie  cliiefs  in  council,  he 
wai'iieil  them  of  tlie  results  of  s(  ttiiitj 
the  law  at  deliance  am!  ordered  them 
to  let  the  SaUeaux  ;,'o  in  peace. 


Sitot  li:f»»  of  flu   Mounlf.l  Police. 


404 


THH  KORIHUl-.Sl   MOUMHD  I 'OUCH  01-   CANADA. 


On  one  (ifcasion  ti  scttlfr  stnick  an 
Intliaii,  wliDsc  coiiiratli's,  simic  '><Ml  in 
all,  net  nndcrslaniliny  Imw  sncli  an 
insult  ciMiliI  lit'  alnni'd  fur  liy  a  tine, 
J)nini|)flv  |(l()c((:i(i!  tci  (Icsfl'ny  flic  set- 
tier's  priipcrtv.  (icttin;,'  worked  n)> 
iido  wild  excitenii'nt  tliey  soon  l>ej,fan 
tiring'  indisciiniinafely.  and  tliieaten- 
in^;'  to  take  the  lives  of  all  while  men. 
Colonel  Irvine  and  his  Adjutant,  Ca])- 
tain  Cotton,  ha|t]iened  to  he  neai'  liy. 
'I'liou^^di  inianneil  they  rode  strai;;;lit 
into  the  inl'ui-iated  hand.  Hifles  were 
levelled    at    them    from    all    sides,    Imt, 

tlii'ir    ( Iness    told,    ami    the    Imlians 

Nullenly  olieyed  the  order  to  disperse. 
Incidents  like  this,  however,  coidd  he 
told  of  cvci'v  ollicer  who  has  served  in 
the  Mounted  J'olice,  nor  have  the  rank 
and  tile  been  hehinil  their  o(1i<-ers  in 
ilarin;,''  and  lirmncss.  It  was  then,  as 
it  is  now,  an  every-day  matter  of  duty 
for  a  sin^^lc  eonstahlc  to  eider  an  In- 
dian cam])  and  make  an  arrest.  Mo- 
mentary indecision,  or  the  dis])lay  of 
temper  would  have  often  meant  not 
only  failure  hut  certain  death. 

In  iSHO  Colonel  Ii-vine,  who  luid 
heen  Assistaid  Commissioner  for  somo 
y*  Ill's,  succeedeil  Colonel  Maclcod  in 
the  coinmand.  the  latter  hecomiii^-  Sti- 
pendiary May-istratc,  and  eventually 
hein^i-  appointeil  a  judye  when  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tories was  orvtanized  in  1NS(!.  'J'lieir 
imnit's  will  always  be  associated  with 
the  rapid  and  successful  development 
of  the  country,  and  a  record  of  the  dis- 
tinguished services  which  both  liej^an 
as  Canadian  otlicers  in  Lord  ^\dlse- 
ley's  l{ed  IJiver  Hxjiedition  of  1H70, 
would  itself  he  the  iiistory  of  the  Nortli- 
wost. 

The  modern  era  of  that  history  l)e;^!iii 
with  the  lMiildiii'4-  of  the  Cana(iian  I'a- 
cilic  Hailway.  The  rapid  proi^ress  of 
this  was  largely  due  to  the  services  of 
tlie  Police  in  preventing;'  aniioyance  and 
attacks  on  working  parties  by  the  Iii- 
ilians,  maintaining'  law  and  order  anioni;' 
the  thousands  of  navvies  employed,  and 
])reventiii;j;  entirely  the  introduction  of 
Ji(pior.  An  army  of  camp-followers — 
fjfainblers,  thieve  i,  and  the  scum  of  the 
Western  border  States — flocked  in  for 
their  exjiected  harvest,  but  were  kept 
in  perfect  order.     The  I'olice  did  good 


work,  too.  in  (|uellinj4:  strikes,  which  at 
times  threatened  to  become  serious  dis- 
turbances. ^Ir.  Van  Hoine.  the  I'resi- 
dent  of  th<'  Comiiaiiy.  has  borne  the 
most  fellin;^'  testimony  to  their  ser\ices 
in  these  words  written  to  the  Commis- 
sioner: "  Without  the  assistance  of  the 
otlicers  and  men  of  the  splendid  t'orcj' 
under  your  command  if  would  have 
bei'i'  impossible  to  accom|(]ish  as  much 
\\(nk  as  we  did.  On  no  ;^reat  work, 
within  my  knowleili^-e,  where  so  many 
iiii'ii  have  been  em]>loyed,  has  such  per- 
fect order  prevailed." 

Till  then  the  I'olio'  had  mainly  their 
own  safety  to  consider.  With  the  lapid 
iiillux  of  settlers  came  responsibility  for 
lives  and  ])ro])erty  scattered  over  an 
area  of  UTo.dOO  s(|uai'e  miles,  'I'mdiny- 
posts  developed  info  towns,  newcentres 
of  population  sjiraiiL:'  up  like  ma^ic. 
the  cattle-ranchers  occupied  the  rei^ioii 
at  the  base  of  the  mountains,  and  the 
whole  face  of  the  counti'y  was  chaiij^ed. 
Simultaneously  with  this  coiniiiL;'  of  the 
white  men  the  biitValo  beciuiie  extinct, 
and  the  Indians,  reduced  at  once  to  ])ov- 
crty.  and  no  loii;,'ei'  mastersof  the  plains, 
felt  their  jiositioii  bitterly.  Amon<;  tho 
tliousandsof  immigrants  thei'e  wasnatu- 
I'ally  a  large  pro]ioi'tion  of  the  I'oiiiihest 
class,  and  the  thought  that  a  sefflei's 
taunt  or  hasty  action  might  jirecipifafe 
an  Jndian  outbreak  adde(l  largely  to 
the  cares  of  the  Police.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  Imlians,  aecustoined  all  their 
lives  to  look  u])oii  other  men'shorsesand 
cattle  as  lawful  ])luiidei',  foiiml  in  horse- 
stealing and  cattle- killing  substitutes 
for  the  excitement  of  tli"  war -party 
and  the  chase,  and  serious  «'ncounters 
were  frecpu'iit.  Another  instance  out 
of  many,  which  I  wish  there  were 
sjtace  to  give,  will  further  show  the 
coolness  and  determination  with  which 
the  Police  always  act.  It  hajipened  in 
1HH2,  but  is  typical  of  any  time  in  their 
Iiistory.  A  sub-chief  of  the  IMackfeet, 
named  Bull  I'^lk.  stole  scmie  beef  from  a 
white  man  and  fired  at  him.  Ins]iector 
Dickens — a  son  of  the  novelist  by  the 
way  —  ordered  his  arrest.  Sergeant 
Howe  and  two  constables  went  with  the 
Insjiector  to  the  reserve  and  took  their 
])risonei'  through  a  mob,  Though  they 
were  knocked  down  and  the  Indians 
began  tiring,  they   stuck  to  their  man, 


i 


•-%  '^ 


;P 


O  il  Fort  WaisH.   now  abar.HnnoH. 
(Fri)iii  II  |>luitu^'m|>li  1))'  Noliimii,  Mrmlreal.) 


while  till'  IiispccfDr  k(']>t  tlif  IiKliiiiis 
liiick  witli  his  rcviilvcr.  until  the  rest  of 
tiic  iiH'ii  (|iiiirtcr('il  tluTc — niilv  fen  of 
II  rcinforcciiu'iit  caiiK'  to  their  i-esctie. 
The  prisoner  was  to  Ik-  sent  to  ^Taeleod 
for  trial,  l)iit  7(t(»  Mlaekfeet  warriors, 
ai'ined  with  Winehesfers,  snrroiimleil 
the  ))ost.  taiintecl  the  sentries,  and  trietl 
to  excite  the  I'olice  to  tire  on  them, 
which,  of  course,  wouM  have  enik'd 
everything,'  with  the  little  tletachnient. 
On  Crowfoot's  intercession  and  prom- 
ise to  ii<>  hail,  the  prisoner  was  allowed 
to  ^(1  for  a  time.  This  happened  on 
•Tanuarv  2d,  it  was  re])orted  at  Macleod, 
100  miles  away,  liv  Ser^feant  Howe,  on 
the  4th,  an<l  l>y  the  evenine-  of  the 
<!th  ^fajor  Cro/ier,  with  every  available 
man.  was  at  the  IJlackfeet  l{eserve. 
havin-,'  ordered  the  field-j^iins  to  lie 
ready  if  wanted.  The  jiost  was  hur- 
riedly fortitie(l  by  eleven  the  next 
mornin;;-.  and  the  jirisoner  was  sent 
for.  Crowfoot  asked  if  they  meant  to 
tif^ht.  The  rejily  was,  "Certainly  not, 
unless  you  comnien<'e."  Ci'owfoot  was 
then  in  turn  asked  whether  he  mofuit  to 


do  his  duty  as  a  chief,  assist  tiie  I'olice 
in  theii'  duty,  and  inak<'  a  speecli  tn  his 
people,  sayiiii;'  tlie  Supennfen<lent  had 
done  ri;4lit.  The  Indians  were  evident- 
ly ^;reatly  impressed,  and  after  a  viifor- 
ous  harani^'ue  from  Ciowfoot  endorsing' 
the  action  taken.  Mull  i'llk  was  sen- 
teiii'ed  and  marcheil  otV  to  prison.  'I"he 
policy  of  separating;'  tiu'  trilies,  settling,' 
them  on  reserves,  and  teaching'  them  to 
farm,  was  distasteful  in  the  extrenn-  to 
these  horn  I'overs ;  hut  Uy  L;reat  ta<-t 
the  Crees  and  .Vssinilioines  were  per- 
suadeil  to  move  north  from  theCvpi'ess 
Hills  to  the  Qu'.\pi)elle  Valhy  and  the 
Saskatchewan,  ^inirded  by  the  I'olici? 
fi'oni  the  attacks  of  their  old  enemies 
the  ]51o(k1s.  whose  war-parties  were  on 
the  alert  to  seize  such  a  chance.  They 
did  not  all  i^o  (piietly,  however,  for  Wv^ 
Hear,  so  notorious  afteiward  in  the 
reliellii>n  of  ISH.l,  aud  another  worthy 
named  Pie-a-1'ot,  uave  •  .•••h  trouble. 
The  formei-  led  ir>((  liri  > .  i)  sack  l''ort 
Walsh,  but  the  si^ht  ••;  |()0  ivd-coats. 
and  two  mountain  .'uns  tm  its  wooden 
bastions,    chan^^ed    iiis    iwii/d  ••iiid  kept 


waTti-*""*^ 'V- .-*•■' f-    .  ^..  ..' 

Foot  Parade  of  D  and  H  Divisions,  Movirted  Police 
(From  H  |)huto|!ra|ili  tuki'ii  by  StwU'  A  Vo.,  of  WiiiiiiiM'^.  ut  .Miiclcod,  Norlli«t>t  TiTrilory,  Dcci'mUT  1*.  I*9«.i 


liiiii  civil  for  II  time,  flidiiii'li  soon  aftcr- 
ward  Colonel  Irvine,  with  one  otlicer 
and  '2'2  men,  had  to  take  their  lives  in 
their  lianils  hy  iiilin<,'  into  liis  eani)) 
f)f  rM)  lodj^es  to  ent'or<-(>  the  s\irron(h'r 
of  some  hoi'ses  stolen  from  ^fontami 
Territory. 

The  Canadian  Pacitic  |{ail\vay  made 
such  unexpected  jji'oi^'ress  that  in  1SS2 
(h'tinite  jjlans  could  be  made  for  tho 
liermanent  stations  of  the  force,  ■which 
was  then  I'aised  to  a,  strenti'th  of  ;")()(). 
lie^ina.  the  capital  of  tlie  Teri'itories, 
was  chosen  as  head-<|uartei's,  and  Fort, 
Walsh  and  Wood  ]\[onntain  were 
ahanihtned,  thouj^h  the  latter,  from 
its  commanding'  situation,  has  since 
lieen  re -estal)lislied  as  a  ])ornianent 
outpost.  Substantial  barracks  beyau 
to  replac(>  the  original  <(uarters  that 
tile  troojjers  had  Imilt  for  themselves 
of  cotton  -  wood  ])ickets,  roofed  with 
j)oles  and  thatched  witli  uniss  ami 
clay.  (Comforts  were  jjrovided  in  tho 
shape  of  libraries,  reci'cation-rooms,  and 
canteens  for  tho  su^jply  of  small  hisu- 


I'ies  and  the  1)evera^'e  known  from  its 
authorizeil  strength  as  "  four  j)er  cent, 
beei-,"  and  the  Police  settled  down  to 
tiieir  new  and  ever-increasing'  (bities  as 
!i  ])ermaiient  ^'arrison.  All  seemed  to 
be  j,'oinfjr  well  for  three  years,  and  then 
came  "the  ]isychol(i<,'i(al  moment"  in 
the  history  of  the  Northwest. 

Hud  the  warnin<,'s  of  the  I'olice  been 
heede<l  the  rebellion  of  the  half-breeds 
luuh'r  Louis  l{iel  wouM  liave  been  im- 
])ossible.  The  actual  outbreak  fouml 
them  ready,  but  llioUL'h  the  streUL'tli 
at  the  northern  jmsts  had  been  in- 
creased to  2((0,  all  decisi\e  action  de- 
])ende<l  on  orders  frr)m  Ottawa.  2. (•<){) 
miles  uway.  At  ii  day's  notice  Colonel 
Ii'vine,  with  4  officers  anil  H(!  mc-n, 
all  the  force  available,  left  l{e'_'ina, 
and  marchiny;  2!)1  miles  in  seven 
days  in  the  de])th  of  a  Northwest  win- 
ter, passed  ri;_dit  throu^di  the  district 
held  by  the  insurj,'ents.  outlliinkin^' 
them  by  liis  <|uickness  and  u]isettinir 
Kiel's  ])lans  to  seize  Piiiice  .Vlbert.  tin; 
kev    of    the    situation.       Twentv  -  four 


^^^t«»^.*. 


Police  and  Trailer  Following  a  Ciiminal. 


li(nirs  were  occupiod  in  nr<j;iiiuziiit,''  tlic 
(k'fciiccs  of  PriiKH'  Allici'i,  uiid  before 
<liiyl>reiik  ("oloiiel  Irvine,  liopin";;  to 
finiisli  the  rising'  by  ii  proinjit  and  de- 
<'ide(l  movement,  wus  on  tlie  way  to  re- 
inforce Fort  Ciirlton.  Unfortunately, 
tiiat  very  day  JIajor  Crozier  hail  Kent 
ont  a  party  to  secure  provisions  and 
animnnition  at  Dnck  Lake  fi'oni  falling; 
into  the  insnrij'ents'  liands.  Jiesistancc; 
was  made,  and  lie  went  ont  himself, 
with,  all  told,  li'.»  Police  and  Prince 
All)ert  volnnteers.  and  fell  into  a  traj) 
skilfnlly  planned  by  the  rebels,  whom  he 
had  no  I'eason  to  tliirdc  were  in  force. 
They  were  iietweeii  HOO  and  400  strong, 
however,  and  almost  sni'rinuided  him. 
Orozier's  men  made  a  splendi<l  stand, 
thon^^li  li,u;htinji:  in  deep  snow  which 
made  their  one  tield-f;un  almost  useless, 
an<l  witli  no  better  cover  than  their 
siei^^hs.  while  tlie  enemy  were  con- 
cealed in  thick  bnsh.  Aftei-  losing-  1'2 
icilled  and  12  wonnded  they  retiri-d  as 
steadily  and  coolly  us  they  had  fon^ht, 
brin^^ini;-  otf  their  wonnded  ami  the 
yiin,  and  ^ot  back  to  ]''ort  Carlton  jnst 
as  Colonel  Irvine  arrived  there.  It 
was  the  only  check  the  I'olicc  have  ever 
experienced. 

That  tiiey  wonld  have   retrieve<l   the 
sitnation    bv    themselves    no   one    who 


knows  thoni  has  ever  (h)ubte(h  But 
they  never  hail  a  free  hand,  (renei'al 
Middleton,  the  Imperial  othcer  in  com- 
mand of  the  Canadian  militia,  was  on 
his  way  to  Winnii)e<;-  to  direct  a  cam- 
paign ;  they  were  already  placed  nmler 
his  orders  and  "  the  ceremonies  of  the 
■wars  must  be  kept.' 

"What  are  the  Police  doin^V"  was 
the  (jnestion  on  evei'v  lip  for  anxious 
weeks.  Their  enforced  inaction,  ami 
the  ('onsei|uent  loss  of  presti^'^e  that 
had  so  often  enabled  a  handful  of 
troopers  to  (lis])erse  hundr(>df-i  of  armed 
warriors,  emboldened  whole  bands  of 
Indians  to  join  the  insnriicnts  and 
heartened  them  to  a  deteiinined  resist- 
ance that  cost  many  brave  lives  to  over- 
come. All  that  was  soon  known  ;  but 
uidil  the  inner  history  of  that  sharp 
little  camj)aiL;n  is  written  the  injustice 
and  misrejiresentation  will  not  be  re- 
vealed wiiich  they  were  made  to  bear 
tliat  othei-s  mitfht  make  sure  of  rea})- 
in;;'  all  tlu^  j^lory  ami  reward.  It  is 
impossible  eviMi  to  outline  here  tiie 
events  of  IHcS,").  The  records  and  the 
graves  on  the  piairie  tell  what  the  i*o- 
lice  did  whenever  and  vrherever  they 
^ot  their  chance.  Their  indispensable 
and  invaluable  aid  has  been  fi'aidcly 
acknuwled''etl  b>-  connnanders  in  whom 


THE  NOkTHlVHST  MOUNTHD  POUCH  OF  CANADA. 


40!) 


/- 


selHshncss  did  not  iiiiir  poisoiial  hruv- 
cry,  find  tlioir  soldier -coiiiriidcs  were 
tli('  first  to  testify  tliat  tliey  did  tlieir 
full  sliiire,  (iiid  more,  of  iimrcliiiij;',  hard 
work,  and  ii^litin^-.  lint  no  man  in  tl.'c 
force  wears  the  medal  that  decorates 
many  a  volunteer  wlio  never  was  witliin 
:{(l(>  miles  of  the  front,  and  saw  all  his 
active  service  lit  tlie  huso  of  supplies  or 
in  the  Home  Guard  of  his  own  settle- 
ment. And  why?  Let  i'ed-ta])edom 
answer  for  itself:  "The  ^lounted  Po- 
lice wei'e  doinj;'  their  ordinary  duty." 
A  prouder  distiuetiou  it  would  be  hard 
to  invent. 

The  duty  done  so  well  was  not  con- 
fined to  those  who  were  with  the  tlii'ee 
columns  in  the  tield.  Those  left  lie- 
hintl  had  iieavy  Mork  and  responsibd- 
ity.  The  firm  front  shv)wn  and  the 
prei)nrations  for  defence  at  all  the  posts 
inidoubtetlly  checked  a  f^'eneral  risinj;" 
of  the  Indians.  At  Macleod  in  particu- 
lar, the  tact  and  personal  iiiHm'nce  of 
tile  officer  in  command,  llaj'r  Cotton, 
aided  by  the  same  qualities  in  his 
former  chief.  Colonel  I\Iacleod,  and 
backed  up  by  the  admirable  conduct  of 
tlie  rank  and  tile,  kept  the  JJlackfVet. 
JJioods,  and  Pie<ians  from  disi'ej^urdin^' 
the  loyal  counsels  of  old  Ci'owfoot  and 
joininji'  Kiel.  Had  they  done  so,  every 
Indian  in  the  Territories  would  have 
risen,  their  friends  from  across  the 
border  WDidd  have  joined  them.  aii<l 
there  would  have  been  massacre  and 
r.apine  throuj^hout  the  whole  Nortli- 
west. 

Immediately  after  the  outbrc  Mie 
streniith  of  tiie  Police  was  increased 
lo  l.CdO.  their  present  nund)er.  In 
■•KKI)  Colonel  Irvine  resij^ned,  and  was 
succeeded  b_\  the  present  comnnvmlant. 
Colonel  Lawrence  H(  rchmer.  And  imw 
it  is  time  to  say  something'  of  the  com- 
l)osition  and  routine  work   of  tlie  force. 

Tile  Northwest  ]\rounfe<l  Police,  like 
Ihe  Poyal  Irish  (!onstal)ulary,  on  which 
it  was  modelled,  is,  in  the  eye  of  the 
law,  a  purely  civil  body  ;  its  oHicers  are 
maj.;istrates,  the  men  ai'e  constables. 
But  so  far  as  circumstani'cs  will  allow, 
its  or^^anization,  internal  e('oiioniy,  and 
drill  are  those  of  a  cavalry  regiment, 
and  when  on  active  service  in  a  mili- 
tary   capacity,  the   oflicers    have   army 


rank.  Tiie  (^)ueen's  Itejiulations  do  not 
apjily  to  it,  howe\er,  and  discijiiine.  as 
strict  as  in  the  army,  is  enforced  under 
a  concise  and  eonij)reheiisive  enactment 
which  provides  a  maximuni  ])eiialty  of  a 
years  imjirisonment  and  a  tine  of  one 
montli  s  ])ay.  leaviiif''  it  to  the  discre- 
tion of  tli<'  otlicers  to  make  tlie  imnisii- 
ment  fit  the  crime.  Even  the  same  C. 
()."s   views   naturallv  varv.  and    if  this 


v4''" 


Wmtui  Costume  of  ttiu  Police, 


no 


THE  NOKTHIVHST  MOUNTED  POLICE  OE  CANADA. 


jn'ovision  were  iiuidc  ii  littlf  more  dcf- 
niitc  HO  that  tlic  (Icfiuiltci-,  wliosc  iiiili- 
tiirv  •'(•I'iiiic  "  (•(iiisistsiii  hiittoiis  iiisiif- 
riciciitlv  l)uniislu'il.  or  in  iiiiscitlciilii- 
tioM  of  tlic  time  aviiiljil)l('  to  sec  liis 
sweet liciirt  home  before  "last  post" 
HOuinIs,  miylit  meet  a  more  uniform 
fate,  a  •.Tievauce  would  be  removed. 

The  atVairs  of  tlie  force  are  mana^'eil 
bv  a  distinct  dejuiitment  of  the  (lov- 
ernment  at  Ottawa,  under  the  i)olitical 
supeivision  of  one  of  the  Cabinet  Min- 
isters, at  i)resent  the  President  of  thi' 
Privv  Council.  ^Fr.  Frederick  White, 
formerlv  Sir  John  ^lacdonald's  Secre- 
tary, has  for  many  yeai's  been  the 
Conti-oUer  of  the  JJepartnient.  its  j)er- 
manent  civil  head.  The  executive  <-om- 
maud  is  held  by  an  otlicer  styletl  the 
(Jommissioner,  and  ranking'  as  lieuten- 
ant-colonel. Tlie  Assi.'itant-Commis- 
sioner  ranks  with  a  major,  and  after 
three  years"  service  with  a  lieutenant- 
colonel.  Ten  Sui)ennten<lents,  with 
ca])tain's  rank,  command  the  divisions, 
witli  about  thirty-tivelnsjx'ctorsas  sub- 
alterns who  corresjyond  to  lieutenants. 
Paymaster's  and  ((uartermaster's  duties 
are  done  by  the  ottieers  of  each  division, 
and  the  Superintendent  of  the  de])ot 
division  acts  as  rejrimental  adjutant, 
an  ins])ector  performinj^'  similar  (bity 
for  each  of  the  indivi<lual  divisions. 
The  me(li<-al  stalV  consists  of  a  Suri^con, 
live  Assistant-Sur-^eons  and  two  Veter- 
inary Snr^i'eons,  the  small  nund)er  of  the 
latter  bein^'  sup])lemented  by  veterin- 
ary sta)t-ser;4eants.  The  non-commis- 
sioned otticers  are.  .is  in  the  army,  ser- 
geant-nnijors,  stalV-serii'eants  of  various 
sorts,  Hcrj^eants,  and  corporals,  while 
the  troopers  are  callecl  constables. 

The  olHcers'  pay  is  not  larj^c.  The 
Ccnnmissioner  receives  ,'i>;'2,40()  ;  the  As- 
sistant-Commissioner, ;«;1, ()()()  ;  the  Su- 
])erintendents  and  Sur.u'eon,  $1,400  ;  the 
Inspectors,  $1,000  a  year,  with,  of  course, 
frei'  (juarters,  rations,  li^ht,  fuel,  and 
forafj;e.  Put  promotion  is  very  slow, 
and  these  are  the  rales  of  twenty  years 
iv^o  when  the  foi'c(>  was  small,  the  du- 
ties far  less  ni'.merous  and  exacting',  and 
the  life  far  more  attractive.  'J'he  men, 
however,  are  well  ))aid,  and  without  the 
vexatious  dciluctions  wliich  in  the  army 
reduce  Tommy  Atkins's  pocket-nioii' y 
to  a  mere  pittance.     The  non-eommis- 


sioneil  otlicers  j^'et  from  a  (h)llai'  to  a 
(h)llai'  and  a  half  a  <lav  :  the  constables 
fifty  cents,  with  an  adilition  of  rive  cents 
^■■ood  -  conduct  Jiay  for  each  year,  and 
an  allowance  of  twciity-rive  cents  when 
employed  as  iderks  or  artiticers.  Poth 
otlicei's  and  men  are  provi<led  with 
liberal  j)ensions,  iirade<l  accordint;'  to 
leiij^th  of  sei'vice,  an<l  attainable  aftei- 
ten  years.  Patioiis  are  of  excellent 
(juality  and  lar;,'e  (piantity,  and  can  be 
supplemented  very  cheaply  with  little 
luxuries  from  the  canteen,  which  is  now 
a  featun.'  of  every  division  post.  At 
most  i)laces,  es])ecially  in  the  north, 
there  is  a  fair  sujijily  of  small  uame  in 
the  season.  The  .Maideod  ami  Culuary 
districts  abound  with  tine  trout. 

The  rank  ;ind  tile  are  not  siiii)asKed 
by  any  picked  corps  in  any  servi<'e.  A 
re<'ruit  must  be  iictween  twinty-tvo 
and  forty-tive  years  old.  of  ^^ood  charac- 
ter, able  to  read  and  write  Ent;lisli  or 
French,  active,  well-built,  and  of  sound 
constitution.  He  is  also  su|  posed  to 
be  al)le  to  ride,  and  a  man  wiio  knows 
something'  of  horses  is  preferred,  lint 
these  two  i-eqnirements  are  broadly  in- 
terpreted. The  i)hysi(pu'  is  very  rine, 
the  averaire  of  the  whole  thousand 
beinjj;  rive  feet  nine  and  a  half  inches  in 
heijj:ht  and  thirty -eii^ht  and  a  lialf 
inches  round  the  chest.  There  has  al- 
ways been  an  unusual  propoi'tion  of 
men  of  j,'ood  family  and  education. 
Lots  of  the  youn^'  ]''n^lishmen  who 
come  out  to  try  tiieir  hand  at  farmiuL:' 
in  Manitoba,  oi'  ranchiuL;'  in  .Vlberta, 
eventually  drift  into  the  Police,  as  <l(i 
also  many  well-connected  youn^'  Cana- 
dians. Farmers'  sons  from  Ontario, 
clerks  tired  of  city  life  and  juxir  pros- 
pects, immii^'i-ants  who  have  not  found 
their  Kl  Dorado,  waifs  and  stiiiys  from 
ev(ry where  and  of  every  callin;^',  are  to 
be  found  in  the  ranks.  The  roll-call 
would  show  many  defaulters  if  no  man 
answered  to  any  nanu'  but  his  own. 
There  was.  iuid  still  may  be.  at  least  one 
Loi'd  in  the  force  ;  several  of  the  men 
lire  entitled  to  nioi'ethan  the  ])lain  re>,n- 
niental  nund>er  as  a  iiandle  to  their 
names,  ami  nnuiy  are  university  jfradu- 
ates.  In  these  days  of  short  service 
dischar^^ed  snldiers  are  ^lad  to  take  the 
(i)ueen's  shillin^^  ayain,  so  that  medals 
won  in  FuLjlamrs  continual   little  war.s 


ittioii. 
wild 

niiiiii;' 
llicrtii. 

as  (lu 

CiiUii- 
hilarici. 

|11'I>S- 
Dllllll 

frnia 
lie  ti) 
oil-call 
I)  man 
own. 
ist  one 

IIK'U 

II  rc^n- 
1  tlicir 
Liiaihi- 
si  rvico 

ll<c  tlu' 

iicdals 

Ic  wars 


i 


One  of  the  Riders 


at  the  iitlicr  end  of  llir  wciiid  arc  not 
unusual,  ami  not  a  few  otliccrs  wiio 
have  liornc  Her  Majesty's  conimission 
..MV  serve  as  simjile  troopers.  In  tlie 
iulventiiroiis  infancy  of  tlie  force  tliese 
clenients  were  even  more  nninerous 
than  nowailius,  ami  many  an  oild  n'li- 
i-iiiilri'  has  occurred  between  men  who 
had  last  met  at  the  mess-talile  of  some 
criick  regiment,  in  a  swell  London  Cliih. 
or  an  Kn-^'lish  country-house.  The 
term  of  enlistment  is  tive  years,  lint 
many  of  the  men  "  take  on  "  aiiain,  es- 
])e<'ially  since  the  estalilishment  of  the 
pension  system.  Discharge  niay  lie  oii- 
tained  liy  jmrchase,  lint  the  small  nuni- 
lier  tiUmved  to  avail  tiieniselves  of  this 
I)rivilen;(..  only  three  a  month,  and  the 


lon,'^  delay  in  j^ettinj^'  a  release — ofti  n 
useless  unless  available  at  once  —  con- 
stitute a  serious  <,;rievance  and  an  easily 
suppressihle  cause  of  desertion.  Hard- 
ships and  monotony,  especially  to  those 
unused  to  work  and  discijiline.  proxim- 
ity to  the  lionh'r.  the  iiiduceni(  nts  of 
liij;ii  wa^'cs  in  civilian  life,  and  dread  of 
jiunislimeiit  for  some  olVeiice  iiiipri- 
meditated  jjerhaps  and  trivial  eiiouoli 
in  anyone  hut  a  soldier  frei|uently 
make  deserteis.  l>ut  the\  >i'e  usually  a 
yood  riddance  to  their  comrades,  whose 
^ood  lecord  is  not  spoiled  hy  the  i!ie\i- 
talili'  lilai'k  sheep. 

After  passing-  the  doctor  and  takiiii:' 
the  oath  of  allej;'iance,  the  recruit  ^oes 
to  he.id-(|uarters  for  ti'ainiii;;.      His  life 


THE  NORTHIVEST  MOUNTED  POLICE  OF  CANADA. 


113 


|^4.- 


■jtf 


thert'  is  tlmt  f)f  a  caviilrv  soldier  all  the 
world  over.  He  underjjoes  in  the  rid- 
iiit^-school  that  refined  torture  which  re- 
Kults  in  a  military  seat,  and  incidentallv 
learns  much  of  the  })eculiarities  of  the 
^VeHtern  broncho.  After  a  trial  of 
]\rounte<l  Infantry  drill,  the  force  has 
returned  to  the  rcfjfular  cavalry  system, 
in  the  simpler  movements  of  which  it 
is  thorouf^hly  exercised,  and  field-artil- 
lery drill  has  also  to  1)(!  learne<l.  llifle 
and  revolver  ])ractice,  mounted  aiul  dis- 
mounted, and  instruction  in  police  du- 
ties comph-te  the  professioJial  train- 
injX-  There  is  ])lenty  to  <lo  in  the  way 
of  ])arades,  stables,  guard  mountin'f, 
orderly  duty,  escorts,  and  "  fati<j;ues." 
He  also  learns  to  di'ive  a  transport  wa<^- 
on  and  a  buckboard — two  v<'hicles  con- 
stantly in  use  for  prairie  travel — so  that 
nu'rely  as  a  soldier  he  has  to  nnister  the 
work  of  all  arms  of  the  service,  besides 
those  of  a  police  constable. 

The  uniform  is  very  like  that  of  an 
En;j;lish  dm<^oon,  tlie  full  dress  consist- 
ing of  scarlet  tunic  braided  with  yellow, 
dark  blue  breeches  with  a  broad  yellow 
stripe  down  the  side,  riding-boots  and 
spurs  faultlessly  polished,  and  white 
helmet  with  glittering  brass  sj)ike.  In 
undress,  with  his  tight -fitting  jacket, 
nnind  forage  -  caj)  perched  on  three 
hairs,  and  silver-mounted  whip,  as  he 
swaggers  down  the  stret't  of  some  lit- 
tle Northwest  town,  there  is  not  a  crack 
cavalry  regiment  in  Her  JFajesty's  ser- 
vice that  can  show  a  smarter  troojjcr. 
Only  the  officers  and  sergeants  wear 
swords  ;  the  rank  and  fih^  are  armed 
with  Winchester  carbines  and  Enfield 
revolvers,  tlie  cartridges  for  which  are 
carried  in  brown  leather  bandoleers  and 
waist-belts.  The  Polieennvn's  kit  is  of 
♦'xeellent  (luality  and  unusually  varied 
in  description,  to  nu'ct  many  varieties 
of  climate  and  duty.  liesides  uniform, 
a  liberal  supjjly  of  warm  underclothing, 
the  usual  toilet  necessaries,  brushes  and 
cleaning  apparatus  for  himself  and  his 
horse,  blankets  and  bedding  on  a  liberal 
scale,  and  table  necessaries,  there  are 
such  items  as  fur  cap,  buckskin  mitts, 
moose-hide  moccasins,  and  long  woollen 
stockings  to  wear  with  them,  a  water- 
proof sheet,  a  rug,  and  a  red  worsted 
fuijiii',  the  picturesfjue  and  piratical- 
looking  winter  head-drcBH  of  the  French 
Vol..  XIV.— 40 


CamuMiiu  habitaiil.  A  long  bluecavaliy 
cloak  and  cape  serve  well  enough  at  or- 
dinary times,  but  for  <nit-door  duty  in 
the  bitter  frost  of  the  Northwest  a  coat 
of  ])lack  Russian  lambskin  is  the  best 
substitute  that  has  yet  been  found  for 
the  ohl-time  buffalo  coat,  whicii  is  now 
as  scarce  and  valuable  as  one  of  its  origi- 
nal wearers.  Duck  clotiiing  is  provided 
for  the  not  hss  frying  summer  heat,  and 
stout  ])ea-jackets  for  sjjring  and  autumn. 
On  patrol  and  at  the  outposts  the  cow- 
boy's comfoi-tal)le  felt  hat  is  a  freiiuent 
sul)stitute  for  the  stifl'helmet  and  sliade- 
less  forage  cap.  Kxperienceil  otfi<<'is 
advocate  a  "prairie  suit"  of  iienti'al 
color,  keeping  the  present  uniform  for 
parade  use  ;  and  now  that  the  red-coat 
has  served  its  purj)ose  so  efi'ectindly  it 
might  well  make  way  fcr  a  more  suit- 
al)le  working-dress. 

The  Depot  Division  and  another  of 
the  ten  into  which  the  force  is  dividcMl, 
about  two  hundred  strong,  are  statioiietl 
at  head-(pnirters,  three  miles  from  Jte- 
gina,  antl  form  a  little  prairie  town  of 
themselves  on  the  i)anks  of  the  Was- 
cana.  The  English  of  this  euiilionious 
name,  which  hardly  compensates  for 
absence  of  water  in  summer  and  in- 
tense mu(hliiu'ss  at  all  seasons,  is  I'ile- 
of- Bones  Creek,  so  called  from  the 
stacks  of  buffalo  boiu's  once  u))on  a 
time  stored  there  to  be  carrieil  away 
by  rail  and  <'onverfed  int(»  fei'tili/.ers,  so 
that  Eastern  cattle  in  their  turn  might 
benefit  l)y  tlu^  elements  of  the  rich 
prairie  grasses.  The  barracks,  a  num- 
ber of  wooden  buildings  —  many  of 
them  merely  ))orfable  houses— groupid 
round  a  ))arade  -  ground,  do  not  make 
an  inij)osing  display  of  architecture. 
On  one  side  the  officers'  (pnirters  form 
a  row  of  detaclied  cottages;  1)arrack- 
rooms,  sergeants'  ijuarters,  orderly- 
room,  guard -house,  ])rison,  canteen, 
recreation  -  rooms,  stables,  and  store- 
houses complete  the  S([uare,  and  the 
Union  Jack  flies  fr(un  a  flagsfaft"  over 
all.  Outside  are  the  hospital,  more 
storehouses,  a  fine  riding-school,  and  a 
small  cluster  of  married  men's  (pnirfcrs, 
but  wedltx'k  is  an  institution  not  fav- 
ored by  the  authorities.  All  round  is 
the  open  ))rairie,  reaching  to  the  h(U'i- 
zon  in  long  undulations  unbroken  ex- 
cept  l)y   Government   Hou.se  near  by, 


414 


THE  NORTHH/EST  MOUNTED  POLICE  OF  CANADA. 


the  (liHtaiit  ruufK  of  Hegiiia,  iiiul  the 
straight  line  of  the  Canadian  Pacific 
Railway  to  the  north.  The  aspect  is 
peculiarly  hare,  even  in  Humnier  when 
the  toiif^h  clay  soil,  in  which  trees  will 
not  fj;row,  yields  its  abundant  harvest 
of  wheat. 

The  other  Divisional  Posts,  scattered 
as  they  are  throuj^h  such  an  extent  of 
country,  vary  much  in  situation  and 
local  color,  but  all  have  the  same  fam- 
ily likeness.  Times  have  changed  much 
since  the  Police  first  came  into  the 
( Treat  Lone  Land.  Towns  and  villages 
and  farm-houses  stand  where  only  the 
tepees  of  passing  Indians  broke  the 
horizon  line.  AVagon  trails  sear  the 
I)lains  witli  broad  brown  bands,  but  the 
creaking  "bull  train,"  drawn  by  long 
teams  of  oxen,  wincing  imder  the  r<;- 
sounding  crack  of  long  whips  plied  by 
wild-looking  drivers  volleying  strange 
oaths  from  under  the  canvas-tops  of  the 
•'  prairie  schooners  "  that  slowly  dragged 
out  mile  after  mile,  is  almost  extinct. 
Only  blanched  skulls  and  the  deep  fur- 
rows worn  by  countless  thousands  fol- 
lowing each  other  in  single  file,  remain 
to  tell  of  the  buffalo  ;  and  the  great 
"fall  hunt,"  in  which  the  half-breeds 
laid  up  stole  of  robes  for  "the  Com- 
pany," is  now  a  legend.  The  "  Sun 
Dance  "  is  no  longer  a  mystic  rite  to 
test  the  would-be  warrior's  fortitude, 
b\it  a  means  of  exti'acting  a  little 
money  from  tourists,  and  the  jouthful 
Indian  slaves  at  pothooks  and  hangers 
in  the  school  at  tlus  Reserve.  The  gla- 
mour of  the  early  days  is  gone.  Yet  the 
enilless  prairie  is  never  far  from  the 
barrack-gate,  and  whether  it  be  bright 
and  sweet  with  its  summer  carpet  of 
flowers,  brown  and  bleak  in  spring  and 
autumn,  or  blinding  in  brilliance  of 
winter  whiteness,  its  deep  silence,  bro  ■ 
ken  neither  by  the  cool  breeze,  sweet  to 
man  and  horse  after  the  scorching  heat 
of  a  summer- day,  nor  by  the  deadly 
rush  of  the  icy  blizzard,  strikes  deep 
into  the  soul. 

Fort  Macleod,  the  oldest  post  of  all, 
in  the  heart  of  the  rich  ranching  coun- 
try of  southern  Alberta,  commanding 
the  sou+uern  passes  through  the  Rock- 
ies, an>i  sepai'ating  the  Blackfeet  from 
the  Bloods  and  Piegans,  as  well  as 
keeping  watch  oyer  the  Montana  bor- 


der, hua  alwavs  t)«en  an  important 
j)la(  e,  an<l  two  rlivi.-sions  are  stationed 
there.  A  t,T|jiical  Wt  stern  frontier  town 
has  grown  up  round  it.  and  the  south- 
em  ext^n^ion  of  the  C.iljrary  and  Ed- 
monton Kailwav,  by  bridging  the  hun- 
drwl  miles  that  st'paruted  it  from  the 
Cami<iian  Pacific  Lne.  has  added  still 
more  to  it«  |»opu{arity  as  a  station. 
Lethbridg*-.  50  uiihs  to  the  eastward, 
which  replaw**  oM  Fort  AN'alsh,  now 
quit*'  dt*<erttiil  anil  in  niins.  is  a  flour- 
ishintr  mining  ti>»n,  and  the  present 
terminus  of  the  All)€rta  Railway  and 
Coal  Couipauv'^  hue.  which,  under  lease 
to  the  Caiiia<iliaD  Pacific  Railway,  is  now 
l>eing  ext^nnltfl  through  3Iacl<;od  and 
the  Crow's.  Nt-*t  Pa.ss.  It  is  the  head- 
quarters of  an  imjjortant  district  just 
to  the  uortLwanl  of  the  Indian  tribes 
across  tl*e  bonl<-r.  Ma])le  Creek  and 
Calgary  fomj.  with  Regina,  a  line  on  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Itailway,  intermediate 
betwet-n  the  frontier  and  the  nortlu'rn 
posts.  Jtlaple  Creek,  but  for  the  rail- 
way ]ias)au«r  tlirongh  it,  is  still  an  iso- 
lat<,'d  prairie  |jn(i«t.  while  Calga:y,  at  the 
gate  of  the  Bow  River  Pass,  has  in  a 
decade  dfTt-lopetl  into  an  enterjuising 
little  citv  of  brick  and  stone,  witli 
churche*.  Ijouik*. theatres,  electric  light- 
ing and  ek«rtrie  street  railway.  Its 
Gaelic  name.  "  the  river  of  clear  water," 
was  Colout'l  Marleod's  apt  christening 
of  its  Itt^utiful  site  at  the  junction  of 
two  mouutain  streatns.  Calgary  and 
Macleod  Lave  always  been  coveted  sta- 
tions ;  the  iMantifni  region  in  the  foot- 
hills of  the  RrM<-kies  anil  the  mihlness  of 
the  shf»rt  winter,  wLi<h  is  tempered  by 
the  warm  Chinook  winds  from  the  Pa- 
cific, <'au*ing;  them  to  be  known  as 
"Go<rs  eountrj-"  t<>  the  men  stationed 
in  the  eai>tem  portion  of  the  Territo- 
ries. Prirnee  An)€rt,  Battleford,  and 
Fort  Saakatc-bfwan.  the  remaining 
three  divisional  head-quarters,  ar<^  far 
to  the  n<:»rthwanl  on  tlie  banks  of  tlie 
North  Sai»kat<i"hewaD,  in  a  region  where 
broad  stretches  of  rich,  long  grass  are 
broken  hj  eopsen  of  poplar  and  birch, 
with  liumeroui^  lakes  and  "  sloughs." 
Beyond  the  firrat  river  is  the  southern 
l>order  of  the  forest  which  separates 
the  wLeat-tmoiwing  plains  of  the  south 
from  the  rocky,  moss-covered,  "  barren 
lauds  ■■  within  the  Arctic  Circle.    Prince 


THE  NORTHIVEST  MOUNTED  POLICE  OF  CANADA. 


415 


Albert,  the  oasternmoHt  of  the  three, 
ori^^iimlh'  a  Imlf- breed  Hcttlemeiit,  is 
now  a  thriviiif^  town  and  the  centre  of 
a  floiirishinf^  diHtrict.  Within  the  laHt 
two  years  the  niilway  has  Htretchod  out 
a  \in\it,  arm  to  it.  and  (uit  oflfthe  tedious 
journey  across  the  Salt  Plains  and  the 
loii}^  round  by  river  steamer  from  Lake 
Winniju!?;.  Battleford,  midway  between 
tlie  other  two,  is  now  the  only  post  still 
de])endent  on  the  buckboard,  the  Red 
lliver  cart,  and  the  prairie  schooner  for 
its  means  of  communication  witli  civi- 
lization when  the  water  is  too  low  for 
tlie  semi-occasional  steamer  to  pass  the 
shallow  bars.  Fort  Saskatchewan  is 
oidy  twenty  miles  from  Edmonton, 
wliidi  is  connected  with  Calj^ary  by 
rail,  and  in  that  country  it  is  an  every- 
day atiUir  to  ride  that  far  to  make  an 
afternoon  call. 

Eadi  divisional  post  is  the  focus  of  a 
system  of  outposts,  some  of  which  are 
maintained  in  summer  only,  or  as  oo 
casion  retpiires.  These;  vary  from  an 
inspector's  command  to  a  solitary  con- 
stable, b\it  most  of  them  consist  of  a 
few  men  under  a  non-ctommissioned 
officer.  These  isolated  detachments  are 
housed  very  variously ;  some  are  sta- 
tioned in  tlie  small  towns  alonjj;  tlie 
C.  P.  R  ;  othera,  on  duty  on  the  south- 
ern border  of  Manitoba,  find  quarters 
in  snufif  farm-liouHes  ;  but  most  of  them 
have  to  put  up  with  rou<;fh  "shacks," 
otherwise  lof^-huts,  and  many,  even  in 
winter,  are  under  canvas.  By  degrees, 
however,  conifortal)le  quarters  are  1)i!- 
injf  built  at  the  i)rincipal  points  com- 
mandiii)^  the  main  trails.  A  continuous 
chain  of  patrols  is  kept  up  all  summer, 
those  of  one  division  connectiii}^  with 
the  next,  so  that  the  Avhole  country  is 
thoroughly  examined.  On  the  United 
States  boundary  alone  the  line  of  pa- 
trols extends  seven  hundred  miles  from 
west  to  east,  and  the  map  showing  th.: 
routes  travelled  looks  like  a  spider's 
web.  A  shaip  lookout  is  kept  for 
smugglers,  horse  -  thieves,  criminals, 
wandering  Indians,  and  other  "  vagrom 
men."  Strangers  are  asked  their  busi- 
ness ;  note  is  taken  of  settlers'  com- 
plaints, the  state  of  the  (^rops,  and  the 
movements  of  cattle  ;  strayed  horses 
are  looked  up  ami  restored  to  their 
owners,   with  every    now  and   then  a 


sharp  ride  for  perhaps  a  hundred  miles 
or  more  in  pursuit  of  hoi-se-thieves ; 
prairie  fires  are  watche<l  for  and  put 
out  if  possible  ;  the  Indian  Res<Mves 
are  visited,  and  note  taken  of  the  do- 
ings there.  Each  patrol  makes  a  writ- 
ten report,  which,  with  the  diary  kept  at 
the  outpost,  is  sent  in  weekly  to  the  Di- 
visional Head-quarters.  In  this  way  a 
general  supervision  is  maintained  ;  tiio 
Police  know  all  the  ins  and  outs  of  the 
district,  and  are  in  constant  touch  witii 
the  2)eoi)le.  It  is  trying  work  thougii ; 
hard  rides  in  all  weathers,  from  dayligiit 
to  dark;  fording  dangerous  rivers,  for 
ferries  and  bridges  are  luxuries  yet  to 
come  in  most  parts  of  the  Nortliwest ; 
a  scorching  sun  and  the  incessant 
plague  of  moscjuitoes  in  the  summer 
months ;  and  often  enough  a  night's 
lodging  on  tlie  open  i)iairie,  with  a  tiny 
tire  of  twigs  to  cook  tiie  su^iper,  and  a 
turn  at  guarding  the  horses. 

The  statutory  duty  of  the  Mounted 
Police  is  to  carry  out  in  the  Northwest 
Territories,  and,  if  rccjuired  so  to  do.  in 
everj'  province  of  (.'anada,  the  criminal 
and  otiier  laws  of  the  Dominion.  Sonit!- 
thing  of  what  this  phrase  means  may 
have  been  gathered  from  what  has  al- 
ready been  said.  There  is  hardly  any- 
thing they  have  not  to  turn  their  luuids 
to  in  the  varied  circumstances  of  tlu; 
vast  country  through  which  they  are 
scattered.  It  has  been  truly  said  that 
their  life  is  one;  continual  caiiipjiign. 
Oft'enders  are  arrested  and  tried  befort; 
the  officers,  who  sit  in  conjunction  willi 
local  magistrates  if  possible.  Prisoners 
for  short  terms  are  guarded  in  the  cells 
of  the  post,  those  sentenced  to  over  two 
years  have  to  be  esco.ted  to  tjie  Jlani- 
toba  Penitentiary,  a  duty  which,  before 
the  railway  was  built,  involved  rides  of 
many  hundreds  of  miles.  The  enforce- 
ment of  the  prohibitory  licpior  law,  un- 
der which  nobody  could  have  intoxi- 
cants in  his  possession  without  a  sj)ecial 
"  permit,"  gav(!  a  great  dea'  of  work. 
Every  vehicle  was  examined,  and  many 
a  traveller  on  the  Canadian  Pacific  has 
waked  in  wonder  at  the  red-coated  ap- 
parition clanking  through  the  sleeping- 
car.  Bibles  and  prayer-books  contrived 
for  spirituous  refreshment  ;  eggs  til' id 
with  whiskey;  coal -oil  barrels  built 
round  kegs  of  lire-water;    canned  to- 


41fi 


THE  NOKTHIVFST  MOUNTED  POLICE  OE  CANADA. 


iiititocs  with  Olio  tin  in  a  dozon  of  vei-j- 
jxitcnt  (jiiivlity ;  and  cluinp-Holed  boots 
tliiit  must  li  vo  1)eon  watn-proof — tlioy 
licld  HO  niucli  pure  alcohol — arc  only  a 
U'\s  Hjx'cinionH  of  the  ruses  resorted  to. 
Tiie  I'olic-  had  a  perfec^t  genius  for  de- 
teciinj,'  them,  and  with  the  imperturba- 
bility bred  of  discii)line,  si)illed  ruth- 
lessly a  Huitl  so  2>reeiouH  tliat  thirsty 
souls  liave  been  known  to  scraiJO  up  tlu; 
mud  thus  <"onii)ounded.  It  says  much 
for  the  tiiiirali-  of  tho  iiu'n  that  this  un- 
])opular  and  uiicon^;;enial  duty  was  so 
iaitlifully  carried  out.  A  constable  has 
been  known  to  refuse  {jll.OOO,  ottered 
him  nii'icly  to  be  conveniently  absent  on 
leave.  Tlu^  duties  of  inspection  under 
the  license  system  adojited  in  1H',)2, 
when  the  Territorial  Ijcgislature  was 
given  a fiee hand  to  deal  with  the  liquor 
(piestion,  are  hardly  less  arduous,  and 
mil!  e  the  Polic(!  unpopidar  with  certain 
classes  in  towns  and  villages,  though  un- 
popularity is  the  very  last  attribute  of 
tiie  force  generally.  Their  influence 
and  assistance  is  still  indispensable  for 
the  agents  and  instnictors  who  now 
watch  over  the  red  man,  teach  him  to 
farm,  an<l  educate  his  children.  Horses 
arc  always  getting  astray  in  tlic  North- 
west, and  th(!  settler  has  a  firm  convic- 
tion that  the  Police  arc  boun<l  to  And 
them  for  him,  though  he  is  not  always 
as  grateful  as  he  might  be  when  their 
voluntary  ettbrts  to  help  him  are  unsuc- 
cessful. Horse-stealing  gives  the  Police 
plenty  of  work,  many  an  exciting  chase, 
and  not  seldom  an  interchange  of  shots 
b(^fore  a  capture  is  etVected.  Whit<! 
men  from  across  the  border  arc  the 
principal  marauders  in  this  line,  but 
their  short-lived  satisfa(;tion  at  finding 
Judge  Lynch  and  the  nearest  cotton- 
wood  1()ugh  replaced  by  a  formal  trial 
with  the  chance  of  escape  on  a  techni- 
cal flaw  in  the  evidence,  was  soon  ex- 
changed for  consternation  at  the  effi- 
ciency of  Police  methods  and  the  rigors 
of  a  long  term  in  penitentiary  on  the 
British  system. 

It  took  some  time  to  convince  the 
Indians  that  cattle  are  not,  like  the 
buftalo,  the  property  of  the  slayer,  and 
even  now  a  vigilant  eye  has  to  be  kept 
on  the  ranches.  Prairie  fires  are  a 
constant  source  of  anxiety  and  hard 
work,   and   keeping   order    along    the 


lines  of  railway  occupicH  a  nund)er  of 
men.  Some  of  the  miscellaneous  tasks 
the  Police  have  to  look  after  in  un- 
organized districts  are  the  collection 
of  Customs  and  Inland  Revenue  duties, 
escorting  tho  mail,  acting  as  jiostnias- 
ters,  and  taking  the  place  of  every 
branch  of  the  administrative  service. 
Besides  all  this  they  do  most  of  tlu! 
work  of  building  barracks  and  out- 
posts, herd  their  horses,  manage  the 
farms  which  are  established  at  most 
j)osts,  rejjair  their  own  wagons,  sad- 
dlery, and  harness,  and  nuike  many  of 
the  firticloH  they  use.  Nor  are  their 
abilities  shown  on  land  oidy.  I'"or 
sonu'  years  past  a  sail-boat  has  ])a- 
trolled  Lake  Winnipeg  to  look  after 
the  fisheries.  Long  journeys  by  canoe 
in  summer,  and  dog-train  in  winter,  are 
necessary  to  visit  the  Indians  in  the 
North,  the  Police  suj)ervision  reaching 
as  far  as  York  Factory  on  Hudson's 
Bay,  while  all  the  nortliern  jxjsts  mnkr' 
much  use  of  boats  on  the  Maskatche- 
wan.  In  1HH7  the  Kootenay  Indians 
at  the  head  of  the  C'ohnnbia  liiver  hav- 
ing given  a  good  deal  of  trouble,  "  ])  " 
Division,  under  SuiK'riiitendent  Ktcele, 
after  marching  from  Macleod  to  Swift 
Current,  were  taken  to  (rolden  City  by 
rail,  and  thence  made  their  way  by 
tnal  along  tlu;  Cohnnbia  to  the  Koote- 
nay country,  where  they  built  them- 
selves a  j)ost  and  established  outposts. 
They  soon  i)ut  down  the  disorders,  and 
in  tho  following  sunnner  marched 
through  the  C'row's  Nest  Pass,  over  the 
mountains,  200  miles  back  to  Macleod, 
repairing  the  rough  pack  trail  and  mak- 
ing bridges  by  the  way.  In  fact,  as  was 
said  of  the  I*olice  in  1880,  when  they 
first  furnished  an  escort  for  aOovernoi'- 
General,  "  Avith  the  discipline  of  regu- 
lar soldiers  they  are  as  handy  as  sailors." 
Horses,  as  well  as  men,  to  stand  sucli 
woi'k  must  1)0  of  the  best.  It  was  soon 
found  that  Eastern  horses  took  too 
long  to  acclimatize  and  did  not  (H[uh\ 
the  native  bronchos  in  endurance  and 
hardiness.  All  those  used  now  are 
bought  in  the  country,  except  a  few  for 
driving-teams.  The  best  come  from 
the  Alberta  ranches,  where  the  original 
broncho  stock  has  been  greatly  ini- 
pi'oved  by  thorough-bred  blood.  They 
are  tough,  wiry  animals,  standing  about 


" 


THE  NORTHIVFST  MOUNTED  POLICE  OF  CANADA. 


■417 


fift«'tMi  liiiiids,  with  f^ood  licails,  Hound 
ft'ot,  and  sliort  bucks,  and  well  up  to 
tlio  wcij,'ht  thoy  ciirrv.  Tlioy  frpcjuontl;.- 
lmv(^  to  travel  50  miles  a  day  for  a 
week  at  a  time,  and  in  the  South  want 
of  water  often  eompels  this  rate  to  be 
exceeded.  Lord  Lome's  escort  trav- 
elled 2,072  miles,  at  an  averaj^e  of  35 
miles  a  day.  An  officer  on  his  staff 
said  that  a  month  of  such  work  would 
break  up  his  re^jiment,  a  crack  Euf^- 
lish  cavalry  corps.  In  1870  one  tioop 
jiiarched  2,10()  miles  within  four 
months,  but  many  of  the  men  had 
done  much  more  individually,  and  one 
of  them  had  7,000  miles  to  his  credit 
durinj,'  the  year.  On  downri<;ht  <luty 
in  IHHO,  not  includinj,'  exercise  or  drills, 
H7(i  horses  of  four  divisions  travelled 
the  amazinj;  distance  of  ()-i(),H05  miles, 
an  avera^-'e  for  each  horse  of  1,720 
miles  durin-,'  the  year.  In  IHHd  "F" 
Division  had  to  j,^o  from  Uattleford  to 
Rejj;ina,  marcliinj^  at  uij^ht  on  account 
of  the  heat,  and  speudinj^  thirteen 
hours  out  of  each  twenty-four  in  the 
sadiUe,  and  they  covered  the  240  miles 
in  rive  days  and  a  half.  A  patrol  of  80 
mounted  men  without  any  spare  horses, 
and  with  12  heavily  loaded  teams  trav- 
elled (150  miles  in  22  days,  on  two 
of  which  they  Uiarched  40  and  42  miles 
without  water.  As  may  be  supposed, 
<^reat  care  and  judt,'ment  is  shown  in 
tlu!  treatment  <jf  the  horses  ;  all  that 
can  be  spared  are  turned  out  to  shift 
for  themselves  in  winter  after  native 
fashion,  and  prorit  j^reaily  by  the  low^ 
rest.  The  saddle  used  is  of  the  (lali- 
foriiia  pattern,  and  sore  backs  are  of 
rare  occurrence. 

It  may  be  said  that  such  instances 
represent  work  done  under  special  con- 
ditions and  in  the  most  favorable  cir- 
cumstances. On  the  contrary,  they  are 
taken  at  random  from  official  reports 
of  ordinary  duty.  In  the  Rebellion  of 
1885  a  detachment  under  IMajor  Perry 
marched  928  miles  in  88  days,  an 
averajife  of  24  miles  a  day,  liaulinj^ 
a  gun  weighing  38  hundred  -  weight 
over  prairie  trails  nearly  impassable 
from  the  mud,  fording  rapid  rivers 
swollen  by  the  spring  freshets,  and 
crossing  lakes  and  deep  morasses,  with- 
out losing  a  horse.  The  divisional  or- 
ders of    Major-General  Strange  attest 


that  that  gun  was  mainly  instrumental 
in  demoralizing  liig  Jiear's  band  in  fiie 
engagement  ai  Frenchman's  J3uttc.  Tlie 
same  detachment  scouting  l)etwecii  IJut- 
tleford  and  Fort  Pitt  covered  130  miles 
in  3(>  hours  without  a  horses  giving  out. 
My  testimony  may  savor  of  grati- 
tude for  kindness  and  hosi)itality  ir- 
ceived  from  commandant  down  to  the 
solitary  trooper  who  has  shared  his  sup- 
per with  me  and  given  u\}  his  bed.  The 
Mounted  Police  have  come  under  the 
notice  and  invariably  wou  the  admira- 
tion of  many  nuich  more  cpialirieil 
judges.  They  liave  escorted  princes  of 
the  blood,  general  officei's,  and  (t(»ver- 
nors-General,  and  this  is  what  Ijoid 
Lome  told  them  when  l)idding  them 
good-by  at  Fort  Shaw,  Montana.  The 
rirst  words  allude  to  the  comi)liment 
paid  him  and  them  by  the  parad*'  of 
the  United  States  troops  in  their  honor. 

"That  good  fellowship  which  exists 
between  soldiers  is  always  to  the  fullest 
extent  shown  between  you  and  our  kind 
friends..  This  i)erfect  understanding  is 
to  be  ((xpeited,  for  both  our  empires 
— unlike  some  others,  send  out  to  their 
distant  frontier  posts  not  their  worst, 
but  some  of  their  very  best  men.  I 
have  asked  for  this  parade  this  morn- 
ing to  take  leave  of  you,  aud  to  exj)ress 
my  entire  satisfaction  at  the  manner 
in  which  your  duties  have  been  pei-- 
formed.  You  have?  been  subjected  to 
some  searching  criticism,  for  on  my 
start' are  officers  who  have  served  in  the 
cavalry,  artillery,  and  infantry.  Their 
unanimous  verdict  is  to  tiu!  eft'ect  that 
they  have  ne»ver  seen  work  better,  more 
willingly,  or  more  smartly  dont'  while 
under  circumstances  of  some  diffioilty 
caused  by  bad  weatluu*  or  otherwise. 
Your  appearance  on  parade  was  always 
as  clean  and  bright  and  soldier-like  as 
possible.  Your  force  is  often  s2)oken 
of  in  Canada  as  one  of  which  Canada  is 
justly  proud.  It  is  well  that  this  pride 
is  so  fully  justified,  for  your  duties  are 
most  important  and  varied.  The  per- 
fect confidence  in  the  maintenance  of 
the  authority  of  the  law  prevailing  over 
these  vast  Territoi'ies,  a  confidence  most 
necessary  with  the  settlement  now  pro- 
ceeding, shows  how  thoroughly  you  have 
done  your  work.     .     .     ." 


•--r^-pr.-wt-v 


